Havens

one

One hundred and twenty-three years ago there was this huge explosion that erupted on Earth caused by an illegal experiment done by researchers in this large science lab. A gas released into the air and began to spread fast. That same gas killed billions of people on Earth. People got infected by some deadly airborne virus and it was concluded that if the substance wasn't contained, it would wipe out the entire human race and all life on Earth.  It almost did.
The problem was, there was no way to contain it. So the remaining people on Earth had no other choice than to flee, here, in outer space.
The idea of living in space was around for centuries and in 2314, it became a reality.
Scientists and researchers had been preparing for this moment for decades. Thanks to the aerospace company Triple A, spaceships were already built, food and supplies were gathered and there were two large space stations which resembled large US cities in space ready to be inhabited. They had been working on taking human life to space even before the fate of the human race depended on it.
Of the two space stations, only one was completed, the Light Haven, and the last 12,000 people on Earth were sent to it.
The Light Haven was the perfect space city ran by Apollo. Apollo was a nice man who always dreamed of having world peace and he was finally able to get it in the Light Haven. Everyone worked together as a community. No social classes, no authority. It was just a peaceful city...for about a month.
My dad tells me the biggest problem with the Light Haven was that there was no authority, no rules put in place. And when there is no authority, there is no order and chaos is bound to happen in which it did. Many wars were fought, and lives were lost from people fighting to take over the Light Haven. In a matter of just four short years, the city was in shambles.
Then came my great grandfather, (my dad's dad's dad) Artemis. A determined man who wanted the best for his people. He saw how bad the Light Haven became and he wanted to do better. He and his team continued working hard on the second space station, the Moon Haven.
The Moon Haven was the Light Haven's neighbor, the second space station that wasn't finished yet. During those four years, the Moon Haven was under serious construction. It took a lot of hard work and determination, but my great grandfather was still able to create the large city-like space craft. The only problem was that only 5,500 people were allowed to migrate and at the time there were a little over 9,000 people on the Light Haven. Of the 9,000 there were about 1,200 kids from the ages 5-18 and they were given first dibs to the new home. As for the others, they had one year to prepare for the biggest competition that tested one's mental, emotional and physical strength. The top 4,300 were able to move to the Moon Haven, while the others had to stay in the Light Haven and continue living in the run down city. After the 5,500 moved to the Moon Haven, the Moon Haven thrived and continued to thrive to this day, Saturday, September 5, 2437, also known as my seventeenth birthday.

I set my alarm clock to five o clock in the morning so that I would wake up before my father. After I rolled out of bed, I started my morning routine: I got dressed, fixed my hair, and did some makeup. I don't usually do much for my birthday. I used to spend it home with both my mom and dad. We would play trivia games, puzzles, and have a huge birthday breakfast but ever since my mom died the day before my fourteenth, I stopped celebrating my birthday. I would just stay home with my dad and Xenon... his new wife. They met about two weeks after my mom's death and married a month later. I guess some people move on faster than others. I don't know. I mean, don't have anything against Xenon, she's actually pretty cool. It's just a little weird that she's twenty-nine and my dad is forty-six but hey, like they say, age is just a number...right?
Anyways. I set my alarm for five because today I had a plan. I'm telling my dad that I want to go to school. Actually, I'm telling him that I am going to school. Dream Wave Academy to be exact. All my life I've been homeschooled... which is great and all, but I want to meet other people. People my age. I only have one friend, her name is Cari. I met her on Zyrian, a social media platform for the youth in Moon Haven. You can share pictures and videos, text, make holographic phone calls, video calls and even play games against one another. We were twelve years old when she challenged me to a game of Crazy Cranium, an extremely challenging game that you have to be super smart in order to win. Of course I beat her. It was only by a point, but I still won, and we've been best friends ever since. We've never met in person during the five years of our friendship. It's because I'm always stuck in this stupid house. I wouldn't say I'm held captive in my home, I just have no reason to leave... that's what my dad says. I have everything here. When my grandfather died twenty years ago, my dad became King of the Moon Haven and since my dad is the leader of the city and I'm his daughter, I get it after him. He says I need to focus on myself and my city so I'm pretty much always stuck in this house either: watching movies, studying, talking to Cari on Zyrian or sleeping. But I'm seventeen, and it's about time I learn how to survive on my own and Dream Wave is the perfect place to learn about independence and to find myself.
Dream Wave Academy is a boarding school for kids. As long as you turn thirteen before the first day, you can start Year One. Cari has been going since she was thirteen and she loves it. She's seventeen now and in Year Five. She's always telling me about her crazy party stories and all the kids she's met along the years. That's why we never get to hang out, besides the fact that I'm always home, she's always away at school hanging with her other friends. I've never been around kids my age but that's going to change.
At Dream Wave you graduate after Year Five which means this would be the last year I could ever go. My birthday always falls on the day of move-in day and next year I'll be eighteen, meaning I'll be too old to start. My dad made the school system on Moon Haven different from the one on Earth. You have to be thirteen to start Year One, fourteen for Year Two, fifteen for Year Three, sixteen for Year four, and seventeen for Year Five. You're allowed to stay in the school if you start Year Five at seventeen and turn eighteen during the school year, but if you've already turned eighteen, you can't start. So yea, that's why I
really want to go this year. I need to go.
I finished brushing out my hair then looked over to my alarm clock.
5:30am.
My dad should be coming into my room any minute now. I started to rehearse my lines and just as predicted, my door opened and in came my dad and Xenon. She was holding a cupcake with the number '17' on it.
"Happy seventeenth!" they both exclaimed.
My dad sat next to me in my bed. "Dressed already? I usually have to drag you out of bed this time. Looks like you're finally growing up."
"Uh sure," I stammered. He and Xenon were both staring at me with a puzzled look. "I, actually, have plans today!"
"Really? I'm listening," my dad said folding his arms.
I looked over to Xenon who had a half smile. She shrugged.
"Since it's my seventeenth, I decided that I'm going to Dream Wave," I said.
"Absolutely not," my dad declared standing up from my bed walking towards my door.
"What! Why?" I asked running after him.
He looked back at me, "because I said so, didn't you hear?" he replied.
"Can't you at least hear me out?" I asked. 
My dad sighed then nodded, signaling me to continue.
"Thank you!" I mumbled. I paced back and forth before facing Xenon and my dad who looked as if he couldn't care less about what I had to say.
"As you know—especially since you're the one who made it this way, dad— this would be the last year I could ever go to Dream Wave and I've been wanting to go for years!" I announced.
"I don't think it's a good idea," said my dad.
"But why?" I whined.
"You're just better off being homeschooled! Is that a problem?" He asked.
"I mean...no, but you only homeschool me because your grandfather dropped out of school and became homeschooled himself, and then forced your dad to be homeschooled... who then forced you to be homeschooled!" I argued.
"And look where I am now, ruler of Moon Haven!" my dad boasted as he walked over to Xenon. "We live in a beautiful home, in a beautiful city. I have a beautiful girl and a beautiful wife to share it with."
Xenon smiled and hugged onto my dad.
I rolled my eyes, "Whether I go to Dream Wave or not, I'll still become leader of Moon Haven one day!"
My dad's smile turned upside down. He knew I was right.
"My grandfather always told me of his experience going to public school on Earth. He said it was stressful, and overwhelming but when you're at home there's no distractions, no pressure to fit in!" my dad explained. "I don't want you to go through what he went through."
I folded my arms.
My dad proceeded with his story, "He was bullied everyday by the popular kids and it made growing up hard. So one day during his junior year, he decided he would drop out of high school and continue his studies at home. He hated school, but he loved to learn and learning at home in a stress-free environment helped him become the genius he was." my dad said.
I cleared my throat.
"Which is why I created Dream Wave Academy after taking over the Moon Haven. It's not like your average school on Earth that went from K-12. There aren't any harsh rules, dress codes, or standardized tests. It's a stress free environment where kids can be themselves without too much pressure put on them, and it's run by my good friend, Apollo, the original Light Haven's ruler's grandson and the king of having a good time!" He said while laughing.
"Well you sound backwards right now ," I said as I walked away from him and sat on my bed.
"Excuse me?" He asked walking towards me.
"I still don't understand why I can't go! The amount of education needed in Moon Haven is five years, and I've been homeschooled for over sixteen now! It's not like if I slack off it'll be a problem, because if I did, I'd still be well ahead of everyone in the city."
"Besides me of course," my dad bragged.
I rolled my eyes, "You also told me that you don't want me to go through what your grandfather went through in high school, right?"
"Stop questioning me Aria," my dad ordered.
"You made sure Dream Wave Academy wasn't anything like schools on Earth, so I'm guaranteed a great experience!"
"But—"
"But nothing, dad!"
"What have I told you about going back and forth with me? I will not tolerate it! You listen to my orders and you obey them! It not that hard!" my dad hollered.
"It is when there is no logical reason behind them! There's literally no good reason why I can't go... unless you have something else you want to tell me?" I said folding my arms.
My dad sighed.
"So can I go?" I said with a huge smile.
My dad raised his eyebrow.
I ran and wrapped my arms around his waist, "Please!?" I begged jumping up and down like a toddler.
"No!" my dad exclaimed.
At this point, I was livid. I wanted to knock him upside his head, but I couldn't. So instead, I cried. "Why do you hate me?" I asked falling face forward to my bed.
"Aria, I need you to focus on what's important, this city. One day it'll be yours and that is a huge responsibility. I need to make sure you are well prepared at all times and going to this party school is going to do nothing but distract you." My dad said.
"Maybe, it won't," Xenon suggested.
I lifted my head up to see my dad folding his arms towering over Xenon who had a nervous smile on her face.
"You raised a smart, caring girl who will be a woman in just one year. Maybe, after seventeen years, she can have just one year to herself for fun!" Said Xenon.
I gave her a hug! "You should listen to your wife!"
Xenon chuckled.
"It's just for a year, it's not like she'll be gone forever!" Xenon said.
My dad's face began to relax.
"Please, Artie" Xenon begged with a seductive glare.
Xenon and my dad began to smile. 
"Fine!" my dad roared.
I ran over to my dad and gave him a big hug.
"Move in day is today at noon! Do you want to come with to drop me off?" I asked.
"No, Aria, I have meetings all day, but I can get the driver to take you," said my dad. "Be ready at eleven!" My dad mumbled walking out of my room.
"I will!" I shouted. I turned to Xenon who was brushing her hair in front of my vanity. "Thank you so much Xenon. He never listens to me because I'm a kid but he can never go against what you say."
Xenon giggled. "No problem, Aria. I want you to have a great time! I also want some alone time with my husband, if you know what I mean?"
"Gross! That's still my dad!" I said with disgust.
"Right, sorry!" she said while laughing.
"Xenon, I have forty minutes until my first meeting!" my dad yelled from his room upstairs.
Xenon winked at me, "Coming!"
"Ugh, get outta here you freak!" I groaned and rolled eyes as I watched Xenon run out my room.

I couldn't believe the day was actually here. I'm going to Dream Wave Academy! I grabbed my phone and made a called Cari.
"Hello?" she mumbled.
"Hey, Cari!" I said trying to hide my excitement.
"It's 6 am, Why are you calling me so earl— did he say yes?!" Cari asked.
"He said yes!" I yelled. We both screamed.
"I'm so happy! Oh my gosh! We're gonna be roommates!" Cari screamed.
"I know, I can't wait to see you it's been too long!" I said going into my closet grabbing all my clothes.
"I can't wait to show you all my friends and take you to all the parties!" Cari said. "How much packing do you have to finish?"
"I'm literally just starting now!" I said frantically throwing my pajamas into my suitcase.
"What?! Girl, you're insane!" Cari said laughing. "I just have to get all my toiletries."
"So you're basically done!" I said.
"Yea, but we still need to get there early! My friend Val she said there are only twenty-five brand new two-person dorm rooms for the upperclassmen, Year Four and Five! We need to get there early so we can get one!" Cari exclaimed.
"That's only fifty people!" I gasped.
"Yea, and there's over four hundred upper classmen, therefore it's in high demand!" Cari explained.
"Well, my dad's driver was gonna leave my place at eleven and pick you up on the way there, what time should we leave then?" I asked.
"Maybe the next hour," Cari exclaimed.
"Seven o clock? That leaves us outside for five hours!" I yelled.
"It won't be bad, have you seen the rooms? They're freaking beautiful." Cari yelled.
"No I didn't, but I'm about to look now." I said grabbing my laptop. In the search engine I looked for Dream Wave Academy's upperclassmen dorms and I couldn't believe my eyes. The rooms were huge! Almost as big as mine.
"Cari. We're getting these rooms!" I said. "If I have to drag my dad down there, I will!"
Cari laughed. "You won't!"
"I know, I'm not a spoiled little princess!" I responded.
"Well, you kinda are!" said Cari.
"True, but I don't wave it around."
"And that's one thing I like about you. But maybe you should lose the humbleness today because those rooms are amazing!" Cari suggested.
"Hmm, fine!" I chuckled.
"Awesome! So can you ask your dad to see if your driver can pick us up in an hour!"
"I won't be done in time. I still have so much stuff to do! We can still leave at eleven, I'll just tell the faculty that I'm Artemis' daughter." I said laughing.
"Right! Okay, princess!" Cari said sarcastically.
"Don't worry Cari, we're gonna get those rooms and this is going to be the best year ever!"